Social Media

What is it? The social media ecosystem is all of the social networks- user generated content, blogs, audio, video, music, news, photos, tweets- working together with digital technology.

All social media channels, are little more than “disposable applications”—but social computing itself isn’t. Whether companies like it or not, social media is impacting business. Consumers, and even competitors, are talking about your brand even if you’re not. It’s up to you to join the conversation and work it to your advantage.

In terms of engagement, social networking allows companies to provide an access point to engage in a meaningful discussion instead of a corporate pitch: What do you think about this? What’s something you want to see? What’s a mistake we’ve made? What problems are you struggling with? “There’s an art to channeling conversation into a meaningful activity for marketers. By committing to—and participating in—some form of social engagement, companies are putting a face to their brands, and that face can be anyone from a customer service rep. to a sales rep to the CEO.

CEO's often ask me, Am I fundamentally turning over my brand—which I’ve spent years building—to the crowd?”

The answer is yes. The upside is that companies have the opportunity to increase their transparency, increase trust, and empower the community to police itself. There are risks, and like trying anything new, it’s wise to understand them and have a back-up plan.

Paul Beaulieu
President
Harrison Marketing LLC
Phone: 443-690-7400
Email: sales@harrisonmarketingmd.com